Well the grid for Sunday’s big race has been set and it is a Kiwi-heavy affair. Shane Van Gisbergen claimed pole position in his TEKNO Holden, while his compatriots Scott McLaughlin and Fabian Coulthard both qualified inside the top-five.

The withdrawal of the Tander/Luff #2 HRT Holden meant that the ‘Top-10 Shootout’ was a nine-car affair. In his first appearance, Jack Perkins was first out and off to a decent start, clearing the first section with an impressive time and managing to lap the circuit in 2:08.2498. Everyone else ultimately went quicker, giving him ninth position on the starting grid of the 1000-kilometre endurance session.

Dale Wood, James Moffat and Craig Lowndes were next in the order, taking eighth through sixth respectively after solid performances from each. All lapped in the 2:07 range, edging their way closer to the ‘Lap of the Gods’ times.

As the pointier end of yesterday’s preliminary qualifying session approached, Jason Bright came in even better, lapping with a 2:07.0431 in his BOC Holden.

Rolling in at the top 3 and it was a New Zealand domination with Scott McLaughlin in third with 2:06.778. Mark Winterbottom disrupted the flow by going what was ultimately the second-fastest time of the session, clocking a 2:06.6389. The man who could not be beaten behind the wheel was Shane Van Gisbergen, who took provisional pole position with a time that was three-tenths of a second quicker.

If you thought Winterbottom was pushing hard, then you should have been watching car #97. Screeching tyres, taking every inch of the track he could, no wonder this freak of a driver took pole position in Sunday’s endurance battle.

The just left Fabian Coulthard as the last runner, but he was never in the hunt and had to settle for what was ultimately the fifth-fastest time.